Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Just heard the sad news that Dannie Flesher, the co-founder of Wax Trax Records, has died. If you've never heard of it, Wax Trax was one of the most important industrial-related labels in the 80's featuring such names as Front 242, Front Line Assembly, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Meat Beat Manifesto, and countless Ministry side-projects.

Jim Nash, the other half of the Wax Trax team died in 1995 of AIDS-related complications.

I never met either one, but the impact the music on their label had on me was literally life-changing. The label was what introduced me to industrial dance music and made my angsty teenage years just a little bit more tolerable. All these years later, I'm actually making my living from this kind of music. I don't have anything profound to say, so I'll just leave it at "thanks for the music."

FROM THE COMMENTS:

"Dannie is my uncle. He died Sunday, January 10, 2010 in Hope, AR. He was born and raised in Hope and moved back to live in his childhood home and be near family. He passed away peacefully in a care home from AIDS- related pneumonia. No memorial or service there is planned.Now. Let's all pull out our Black Box and remember the true pioneers: Dannie and Jim." -kirstencarson

Line - Agreed. In all the years of just randomly buying anything that had the Wax Trax label on it I think there was only ever 1 or 2 releases I didn't like. How many other labels have that track record?

Anonymous - The source is a former Wax Trax artist and current plug-in developer who posted about it on his facebook last night.

Danny And Jim were both great guys. I'm so happy to have known them. I'm SO sad to hear about Danny. I didn;t know until just now. R.I.P Danny. You will be missed.Laura Gomel aka Kitty Killdare of My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult

I busted my ass in the 90s working for the greatest record label ever, WaxTrax Records. I've made friends, became part of stories, history & news. I felt like I became part of a family, albeit late newcomer so-to-speak but better than never. I owe Jim [Nash] & Dannie [Flesher] for my eventual friendship with En Esch & Guenter Schulz (from KMFDM - WaxTrax Artists) and ultimately becoming their drummer in Slick Idiot.

I'm a source. Dannie is my uncle. He died Sunday, January 10, 2010 in Hope, AR. He was born and raised in Hope and moved back to live in his childhood home and be near family. He passed away peacefully in a care home from AIDS- related pneumonia. No memorial or service there is planned.Now. Let's all pull out our Black Box and remember the true pioneers: Dannie and Jim.

Before it was a label, it was "just" a store on Lincoln Ave. It was a welcoming haven and a repository of dreams for many in Chicago. Both Dannie and Jim created a place where many happy memories and lasting friendships were formed.

Thanks so much for the condolences. My dad was closest in age to Dannie of 13 kids so my brothers and I were very close to him. We all realize the impact Tom, but I'm not sure Dannie did. He was SOOO humble. I'm just glad that a kid from Hope, AR who felt like the world was against him at one point was able to make so much of himself. I am proud to be his niece. I just wish the rest of our family knew him like we did. Their loss...

Danny was one of the sweetest men in the world, and I adored him. Probably the last time I saw him was Jim's funeral, but I have thought of him so often over the years. Condolences to your family, and us all, really. The end of an era, officially.

Not here. Show a little respect. All of us are flawed, some more than others, but none of that erases the good we do in our lives, and whatever your problems with Dannie, he did have a positive impact on not just many people such as myself, but on music in general. Feel free to air your issues with him on your own platform, but I'm not going to tolerate that here.

It's a sad day, and finding out about this just made me sadder. I remember VERY CLEARLY the day that I spent all my money just to take a taxi ride to the Wax Trax store. I was in Chicago, and it was my primary goal...for once, instead of pouring over the catalogs, I could finally go and pour over the actual records.

kirsten, i agree your uncle was a great man. his roof top deck was the best place to see the fireworks and air show. i am honored to have known him and a piece of my childhood and life in general has now gone with his passing. thank you so much for giving us the details. i was hoping for a memorial as i'm not only a few hours away.

Thanks for reigning in the beast Tom. Mike has already spread his venom throughout several other forums. My whole family greatly appreciates your blog and all of the wonderful comments from your fans. Misstick- the roof was the BOMB! From fireworks to just watching the cats eat their "pan" of grass...those were good times, good times. I wish I could tell you the family was going to have a memorial, but unfortunately most of them are just worried about "stuff." Dannie definitely deserves a rager! RIP Uncle Dannie!

Dannie and Wax Trax made me proud to be from Chicago. Both the store and the label meant so much to me as a disillusioned and outcast teenager growing up in the conservative evangelical stronghold of the western suburbs.

This is pretty sad news; I heard about it from Side Line and found this blog through a Google search. I echo the sentiment of buying almost everything that had the Wax Trax logo on it, however, I discovered it after the label was already closed, I believe in late 1995. However, that still doesn't change the fact that it highly influenced my taste in music and 20 years later, still some of the best electronic dance music out there. RIP Dannie and Jim.

Although I didn't follow industrial as closely as I did metal, I found that LOADS of my favourite remix artists were released through Wax, and the way it pioneered sounds and attitudes through it's creative forsight and originality. I didn't know Dannie but once I joined Katscan I felt compelled to do my homework and I'm so glad I did. Love to Dannie's family ands friends.Phil Roadkill. Generation Graveyard (Ex-Katscan)

It is so awesome to see Dannie's name everywhere and all the wonderful comments he so deserves. My heart is heavy for those who really loved Dannie and appreciated his sense of humor, humbleness, and his love for life. I remember the times when Uncle Dannie and Uncle David would come to Hope and check me out of school just to spend quality time with me. I loved listening to them talk about old days and always listened to their words of wisdom. Dannie deserves a big blow out like my cousin suggested. It would be wonderful just to listen to the many stories people had to tell. There are no words that can describe what his passing has meant to many of us. There will never be another Dannie Flesher. I love him and will miss him dearly.

wax trax f*cking rocked. it was a BIG part of my formative musical years - all issues aside - i hope others can see it that way. they will be missed, as well as the musical legacy they helped to leave behind. respect, please.

I am thoroughly convinced in this said post. I am currently searching for ways in which I could enhance my knowledge in this said topic you have posted here. It does help me a lot knowing that you have shared this information here freely. I love the way the people here interact and shared their opinions too. I would love to track your future posts pertaining to the said topic we are able to read.Penis enlargement pills

Be fast to browse the newest styles and lots of affordable outfits and Nike oxygen Max and women's merchandise is not an daily affair, for that reason that in the stress of modern day time girls ordinarily do not possess a complete great offer time and vitality to go buying by means of countless many style malls, and look at special fees will make you exhausted, so which you can acquire a satisfactory goods, call up for to devote lots of time, the show up of on collection buying significantly minimizing the inconvenience of this, now you not just can every one of the sudden go to to lots of goods Nike Air Max Shoes .

MyCarePharmacy.com is not an online pharmacy but an escrow service that connects you with a licensed pharmacy in a safe and trustworthy environment. When you use our service, you can rest assure that you will always get what you paid for, and this is guaranteed.

I read and walked for miles at night along the beach, writing bad blank verse and searching endlessly for someone wonderful who would step out of the darkness and change my life. It never crossed my mind that that person could be me.